All posts tagged: openly

A Dirty Word No More: Why Celebrities Are Finally Openly Talking About Their AI Interests

A Dirty Word No More: Why Celebrities Are Finally Openly Talking About Their AI Interests

Published by Sam Flores

Tye Sheridan hasn’t kept his interest in AI under wraps at all. He was one of the first in Hollywood to explore the possibilities when he and Nikola Todorovic cofounded AI tech company Wonder Dynamics way back in 2016. At the time, Sheridan, known for his work in sci-fi films like Ready Player One and the X-Men franchise, was telling agents, managers, and anyone else in Hollywood who’d listen that they should educate themselves about AI. “It’s coming. It’s going to be a big part of our industry,” he remembers saying. “And some people would kind of laugh because they thought it sounded so science fiction.” It was after ChatGPT launched in 2022 that Hollywood (and the rest of society) realized the possibilities. By 2023, Sheridan and Todorovic launched Wonder Studio, an AI tool for animating, lighting, and composing CG characters in a live-action scene. They’ve been intentional about using AI in an additive way, not to replace creative talent like actors. “We spend a lot of time working on staying on the good side …

The Members of Congress Openly Attacking Muslim Americans

The Members of Congress Openly Attacking Muslim Americans

Published by Sam Flores

This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. No one could accuse Representative Andy Ogles of using dog whistles. The Tennessee Republican prefers a bullhorn. “Muslims don’t belong in American society,” Ogles wrote on X on Monday. “Pluralism is a lie.” The statement’s open bigotry is jarring. Where American Islamophobes in the past two decades have tended to demand that Muslims assimilate or denounce particular people or views, Ogles is taking a categorial approach. (In the past, Ogles has demanded the denaturalization of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whom he called “little muhammad”— whatever that means—and told an activist that his attitude toward Gazan children was that “we should kill them all.”) His denunciation of pluralism is un-American—not in the sense that it’s reprehensible, though it is, but that it is directly in conflict with the founding principles of the United States. Ironically, it has more in …

Trump is openly cashing in on the presidency

Trump is openly cashing in on the presidency

Published by Sam Flores

Donald Trump announced last week that he is suing the Internal Revenue Service for $10 billion because a contractor leaked his tax returns. This isn’t the first time the president has sued the federal government. He has already filed claims against the Justice Department for $230 million over the investigations into Russian collusion and the stolen classified documents. In each of these cases, it will be up to the agencies, which he oversees, whether to settle — with him. Gosh, I wonder what he’ll decide?  When asked about this curious arrangement over the weekend, Trump told the press, “I’m supposed to work out a settlement with myself… We could make it a substantial amount, nobody would care, because it’s gonna go to numerous, very good charities.” Evidently, American taxpayers are going to have to pay for yet more of Trump’s grievances — and give him what will almost certainly be a nice tax write-off. That’s assuming these “very good charities” aren’t along the lines of his defunct Trump Foundation, for which he was sued by …

E-scooter warning as ‘thousands are openly breaking law’ | UK | News

E-scooter warning as ‘thousands are openly breaking law’ | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

Nine out of 10 inspections of e-scooter retailers uncovered devices being sold unlawfully, according to Government statistics. The AA declared that e-scooter regulations are either “misunderstood” or “thousands of people are openly breaking the law”. A total of 42 out of 47 visits to e-scooter sellers by Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) officials in the year ending in April 2025 revealed the devices were being sold either illegally or without adequate guidance regarding legal restrictions. The statistics were disclosed by transport minister Simon Lightwood following a parliamentary written question. Mr Lightwood blamed the high rate on “poor levels of compliance being found in the online marketplace”. He said: “In that year, DVSA’s market surveillance unit looked into higher proportions sold in online markets due to apparent shifts in the way such items are sold.” Regulations for e-scooter use in the UK Some 41 out of 58 inspections discovered e-scooters being sold unlawfully in 2023/24, whilst 79 out of 93 inspections in 2022/23 found similar violations. Privately owned e-scooters in the UK may only be …